Rail-joint.



No. 895,909 PATENTEDAUG. 11,1908.

H. J. THOMAS, JR.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1907.

section on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

HENRY JFTHOMAS, JR., OF MACON, GEORGIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed May 16, 1907. Serial No- 373,939.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. THOMAS, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad track construction, and more particularly to rail joints of that type in which one of the fish plates is provided with a tongue adapted to extend through the meeting ends of the rails and the opposite fish plate, and provided with means for securing the parts permanently locked together.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a rail joint of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction and so designed that the meeting ends of the rails can be secured against relative movement to insure smooth running over the track and the reduction of noise to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a rail joint comprising fish plates bolted to the meeting ends of adjacent rail sections and havin means at the middle of the fish plates to firmly lock the parts together and take the place of the two bolts upually employed at the middle of the fish p ates.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint in which the meeting ends of adjacent rails are longitudinally slotted in their web portions for the reception of a hori- Zontal projection or tongue on one fish plate, the-tongue being grooved to receive a split or U-shaped key which serves to permanently hold the parts locked together.

With these objects in view and others, as

will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the fish plates. Fig. 2 is a side view of the complete rail joint. Fig. 3 is a transverse Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the locking key. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the end of one of the rail sections.

Referring to the drawings, A and B designate the meeting ends of two adjacent rail sections, which latter are of standard construction and comprise heads 1, webs 2, and bases 3, the webs having bolt-receiving apertures 4, located a suitable distance inwardly from the ends of the rails, as shown in Fig. 5. The meeting ends of the rails are each provided with a longitudinally extending recess 5 and a transverse opening 6 below the recess. The recesses 5 cooperate to form a slot for receiving a rectangular projection or tongue 7 on the fish plate 8. The fish plates, which may be of any approved construction, have openings 9 adjacent their ends for receiving the bolts 10. The fish plate 8 is provided with a longitudinal slot 11 at its center through which the tongue 7 extends, and the latter has parallel grooves 12 in its top and bottom surfaces for receiving a split or U-shaped locking key 13, the legs 14 of which engage in the grooves 12 and extend beyond the projection at one end so that their extremities can be bent inwardly over the projection, as indicated at 15, Fig. 2. On the fish plate 8are horizontally extending pins 16 disposed under the tongue or projection 7 and passing through the transverse holes 6 in the Webs of the rails and holes 17 in the fish plate 8.

In practice, the rail sections A and B are laid on the cross ties and spiked thereto in the usual manner, and the fish plate 8 is positioned on one side of the rail by passing the tongue 7 and pins 16 through the holes intended to receive them, and the other fish plate 8 is placed in position on the opposite side of the rail sections and on the projection 7 and pin 16. The bolts 10 are next inserted through the openings 9 and 4 of the fish plates and rail sections respectively, and the nuts of the bolts drawn tight. The locking key 13 is applied to the projection 7 by sliding it horizontally on the latter, after which the projecting extremities 15 are bent laterally toward each other. The projection 7 and key 13 thus serve to firmly lock the parts together, so that spreading of the rail sections or relative displacement thereof will to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the apparatus which 1 now consider to be-the best embodiment thereof,

I desire to have it understoodthat the appa- I claim is 1. A rail joint comprising a pair of rail sections, fish plates on opposite sides of the sections, a member on one of the fish plates extending through the sections and opposite fish plate, a bendable key locked on the member for securing the parts together, and a plurality of pins on one fish-plate and extending parallel with the said member and arranged to extend through the other fish-plate and through both rail sections.

2. A rail joint comprising a pair of rail sections, fish plates, a member on one of the fish plates extending through the rail section and opposite fish plate and provided with longitudinal grooves, a split key engaging in the grooves of the said member and bent at one end to be retained on the member, and a plurality of pinsintegrally connected with the fish-plate having the said member, said pins being of such length as to extend through the webs of the rail sections and through the other fish-plate.

3. A rail joint comprising a pair of rail sections having alining recesses in their webs and apertures adjacent the recesses, fish plates on opposite sides of the sections, a member on one of the fish plates extending through the recesses and through the opposite fish plate, pins on one of the fish plates extending through the apertures of the rail, a U-shaped locking key on the said member holding the said parts together, and bolts extending through the rails and fish plates adj acent the ends of the latter.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY J. THOMAS, JR.

Witnesses: A. L. NORRELL, F. E. JOHNSTON. 

